Ruben Ramos

Assemblyman Ruben Ramos (D-Hoboken), who left his at-large Hoboken City Council seat this year under mounting public pressure to end his dual office holding status, received the news about the arrest of Mayor Peter Cammarano today while on vacation with his family down south. 

"It's extremely diasppointing and sad for the citizens of Hoboken and for all of us," said Ramos. "It's a blight on the whole town. It's a sad and depressing day. I'm taking everything in right now. I'm not going to call for someone's head at this point. It's all in the city council's hands at this point."

Ramos said Cammarano would have to do what's best for Hoboken and for his family.

ALBANO / MILAM / RAMOS BILL TO PROTECT SMALL CHILDREN FROM TIP-OVER ACCIDENTS APPROVED BY ASSEMBLY

Measure Is Named After Two Young Girls Killed When Large Televisions Tipped

(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assemblymen Nelson T. Albano, Matthew W. Milam and Ruben J. Ramos Jr. to protect small children from tip-over accidents involving furniture and televisions was approved today by the Assembly.

The bill is named Chloe and Samantha’s Law after two young girls who were killed when large televisions tipped onto them.

“Each year thousands of people, primarily young children, are injured or even killed because of large furniture or televisions tipping over onto them,” said Albano (D-Atlantic/Cape May/Cumberland). “This is smart and sensible legislation that would protect our young children from tragic accidents.”

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DIEGNAN/CHIVUKULA/RAMOS ON NEW LAW HELPING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

Measure Gives Gas Station Franchise Owners Right of First Refusal if Franchise is Sold

(TRENTON) - Assemblymen Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr., Upendra J. Chivukula and Ruben J. Ramos, Jr. today issued a multimedia package on legislation signed into law by Governor Jon S. Corzine designed to help small business owners who operate a gas station franchise.

Under the new law (A-3726), the owner of a gas station franchise - typically a big oil company - is prohibited from selling or transferring any franchise operated by a small business owner for at least three years without first giving the current owner the option to purchase the franchise or the right of first refusal to match any offer made to purchase the franchise.

STENDER / WISNIEWSKI / RAMOS / GIBLIN PEDESTRIAN SAFETY LEGISLATION CONTINUES ADVANCING

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly members Linda Stender, John S. Wisniewski, Ruben J. Ramos, Jr., and Thomas P. Giblin sponsored to enhance pedestrian safety throughout New Jersey continues advancing toward law.

The bill recently passed the Assembly 76-0 and has been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee.

“The number of pedestrian deaths in our state has been increasing instead of decreasing despite our best efforts in recent years,” said Stender (D-Union), vice chairwoman of the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee. “This measure will clearly give pedestrians the right of way so that school children and people on foot can safely walk to their destinations.”

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ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS COMMENTARY ON BILLS INCREASING AWARENESS & SIMPLIFYING ENROLLMENT IN PAAD, SENIOR GOLD

(TRENTON) - Assembly Democrats today issued a multimedia package on two bills sponsored by Assembly members Sheila Y. Oliver, Connie Wagner, Celeste M. Riley and Ruben J. Ramos, Jr. that would increase awareness of and simplify enrollment in the state's two prescription assistance programs.

Assemblyman/Councilman Ruben Ramos (D-Hoboken)

Assemblyman/Councilman Ruben Ramos, Jr. endorsed Councilman Peter Cammarano for mayor of Hoboken, the Cammarano campaign announced this weekend. 

"After serving the past two years on the City Council with both Peter Cammarano and Dawn Zimmer, it's very clear to me that Peter is far more qualified, more professional and much better prepared to be our next mayor," Ramos said in a statement.  "I am very proud to endorse Peter and I will be working very hard to help him win this election. 

“Peter is clearly the more competent candidate,” Ramos added. “He has a much better grasp of the issues and he is much more decisive. Zimmer has a real problem making decisions. Her abstention on this year's city budget was just baffling. This budget was prepared by the state, not the mayor. As a councilmember, you must vote yes or no.  You can't abstain, it's just indefensible."

Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer and her running mate, Ravi Bhalla

HOBOKEN – Purists don’t like the Hoboken mayor’s race because they don’t readily identify in any of the three main candidates the kind of old school character who might just as well have been a barkeep, tavern owner, longshoreman, tug boat operator, barge hand or fireman as mayor.

But while At-Large Councilman Peter Cammarano, 2nd Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason, and 4th Ward Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer probably can’t trace their respective family histories back to a distant uncle who pitched in the world’s first baseball game played in Hoboken, the Tremitiedis, Russos and Raias of the world opted out of this year’s contest, leaving these like ‘em or not new mold Hobokenites on the field.

Whoever gets elected must confront a financial wreck as residents here still reel from the effects of a 47% tax hike in one year, and hours before the first mayoral debate tonight at Our Lady of Grace Church, the slow-moving contest threatens to intensify.

To date, few have been willing to venture a guess as to who’s in the lead, but 4th Ward Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer has relished blowing up the old model of what Hobokenites are supposed to be and framed herself as the do or die reformer. 

DIEGNAN/BARNES/CONNERS/RAMOS BILL CREATING ‘TROOPS TO COLLEGE’ PROGRAM PASSES ASSEMBLY

Aims to Help Veterans Make Transition into Classroom

(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assemblymen Patrick J. Diegnan Jr., Peter J. Barnes III, Jack Conners and Ruben J. Ramos Jr. to help veterans make the transition from the battlefield to the college classroom was passed today by the General Assembly.

The bill (A-3360) would require the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, in consultation with the Department of Veterans’ and Military Affairs, to establish the Troops to College Program. The program would assist New Jersey’s public institutions of higher education in coordinating a comprehensive array of services to help veterans make the transition into the college classroom.

“Our veterans deserve the best, and that includes access to higher education,” said Diegnan (D-Middlesex). “This plan would make that transition easier and is the right thing to do for those who have sacrificed their time and energy to defend our nation.”

Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan, above, could wind up as Assembly Majority Leader, if Gov. Jon Corzine picks Bonnie Watson Coleman as the Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor.

The bigger inside contest if Bonnie Watson Coleman leaves the Legislature to run for Lt. Governor is who would succeed her as Assembly Majority Leader.  Her two main competitors when she won the post after the 2005 election, Neil Cohen and Wilfredo Caraballo, are no longer in the Legislature.  The race is significant because next Majority Leader could become Assembly Speaker someday.

The conventional wisdom is that Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), the Democratic State Chairman, would be a leading candidate for Majority Leader.  Cryan has a strong relationship with Speaker Joseph Roberts and with Democratic Party leaders across the state.  Watson Coleman was the Democratic State Chair before she became Majority Leader.

HUTTLE/JOHNSON/COUTINHO/RAMOS BILL MAKING MACHINE GUN OR ASSAULT FIREARM POSSESSION A SECOND DEGREE CRIME SIGNED INTO LAW

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly members Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Gordon Johnson, Albert Coutinho and Ruben Ramos sponsored that would raise the penalties from third to second degree for any person who either knowingly possesses an unlicensed machine gun today was signed into law by Governor Jon S. Corzine.

“The overwhelming majority of crimes in this state are committed with weapons that are unlicensed,” said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). “Enhancing the penalties for the possession of such weapons can only serve to help keep them off the streets and out of the hands of criminals.”